“I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call on the name of the LORD.” Psalm 116:17
As we readied ourselves for 2021, I pondered many thoughts about 2020. A pandemic alone was plenty enough for a year, but for many loss was also part of life . . . loss of normalcy . . . loss of jobs . . . loss of security . . . loss of loved ones. Our hearts still ache for our Tebbe family, the loss of both Shawn’s mom and sister in a short distance of time. The highs and lows of one year!
It would be easy to want to move on quickly from 2020 and not recognise moments. The moments that God encompassed us . . . the moments His sovereignty stayed ahead of us . . . the moments of His sweetness in the midst of sorrow . . . the moments His love embraced us . . . the moments His faithfulness continued to steer us . . . the moments of His joy in the midst of grief . . . the moments His wisdom directed us in the chaos.
I choose thankfulness when I remember 2020. Gratitude for the depths that the Lord has carried us through. That is why, as 2020 has faded into 2021, I will be found singing Him praise. In the Lord alone I put my trust for the New Year! The love of God can not be locked down.
by Deanna Tebbe, CCEA Missionary to Ireland